Improvement in smithsj tongs



`UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEO JOHN C. GARDNER, OF HINGHAM,MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN SMITHS TONGS.

Specification forming part of/Letters Patent No. 55,275, dated June 5,1866.

To all whom't may concern Be it known that I, J oHN C. GARDNER, ofHingham, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Smiths7 Tongs; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof', which will enable others skilled in the art to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming partof this specification.

The drawing is a side elevation of a pair of smiths tongs with myinvention applied thereto.

My invention relates to that class oi' tongs used for grasping diEerentkinds of articles and holding them while being worked upon. With thatkind of tongs at present in use a link is passed over the handle orlevers of the tongs after the article is grasped hold of, and thus held.This is a troublesome proceeding, and often the levers are so far spreadapart that it is necessary to bend them to get the link in the properplace.

My invention consists in attaching a slotted segmental strip to onelever of the tongs, the slot working on a pin in the other lever, and inapplying a pawl to one leg in such manner that it will engage with teethon the segmental strip and enable the tongs to be set and held asdesired.

A A designate the handles or levers7 and a a the jaws, respectively, ofa pair of tongs of the ordinary construction for the use of smiths andothers.

yB is a segmental strip, which is attached to the lever A, so as toextend ont in the direction of the lever A', which it crosses. In thisstrip B is cut a slot, b, which plays upon a pin, c, projecting from thelever A. The length of the strip B and the slot in it are to beregulated according to the distance the jaws of the tongs are capable ofbeing opened.

The under side ofthe strip B is serrated for a proper distance, and apawl, D, is secured to the lever A', and arranged so as to engage withany desired toth on the segmental strip From the above description itisobvious that an article, however large or small, which can be grasped bythe jaws a a can bc firmly held there as long as desired by merelythrowing the pawl into the proper tooth on the segmental strip B.

The advantages of this invention are too manifest to need any recitalhere.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with a pair of tongs, of a segmental strip,B, and pawlD, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

JOHN C. GARDNER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES N. MARSH, ALBERT E. THAYER.

